The phone just rang and my heart about leaped out of my chest. It was my Dad on the caller id. Our phone never rings past 10pm and usually not past 9pm. Okay, actually it doesn't really ring at night because I think everyone respects family time and bed time is happening with the kids. But, tonight my Dad called. As soon as I answered the phone, he said "Mandi. Nothing is wrong. I have good news. Matt just got saved."

My Dad does not go to church and hasn't for a few decades. I'm not quite sure if He will ever go back to church. A few months before we moved, he got a job at a golf course. The man is totally addicted to golf and from what I hear, he's good at it too. Last week he got a promotion and is now the assistant pro. He is busier than he has been in years and I am so happy for him. This new position also comes with health and dental insurance and that gives me a huge peace of mind. Anyway, he works with a young guy in his twenties, Matt, at the golf course. It seems that my Dad really adores this kid and vice versa. In fact my Dad talks about Matt's golf swing like he talks about my singing. Of course my Dad thinks I am awesome, I am his daughter! But my Dad brags on Matt a lot! Just recently, Matt's girlfriend broke up with him. They had moved in together and planned on getting engaged but soon after renting the apartment, she dumped him. Dad said that he was really worried about him and asked me to pray for him. Dad also said that Matt had been going to a huge church in the area but, quit going because the girlfriend still went there.

While my Dad hasn't been in church in a very long time, I know he still really loves the Lord (not that you have to go to church to love God. PLEASE!). Despite the issues my Dad has had in life, he always knows that God will take care of him. That is something pretty cool that my Dad taught me. My Dad really believes that God is His friend and He taught me the same. He wasn't a perfect Dad but he taught me a lot about God. I've watched this man hurt in some unimaginable ways but still find His way back to God.

Dad said a few weeks back that God had given him a lot of opportunities to talk to Matt about God but he said he wasn't sure if he really got it or not. My Dad also said that the pain of the breakup has made him much more receptive to hearing it too. I honestly believe that my Dad has lost sleep over this kid. He really cares about him. So tonight Matt heard from his girlfriend. She wanted to come pick up some of her stuff later in the week and he "lost it". Inside his apartment he started crying, throwing things and just totally freaking out in anger. All of the sudden, someone knocked on the door. He looked out the window and it was two guys. Matt opened the door and found out it was two guys from a local church. Come to find out, his door was the first door they knocked on. Those two guys led Matt to Christ tonight! He is NOW a Christ Follower!

So my Dad gets a phone call that goes something like this. "Steve, I got saved tonight. I have not been eating, sleeping or anything but now I feel excited. Everything you have been saying made since tonight and those guys told me about Jesus and how I could have a relationship with him so I did it! And now I am on my way out to go eat somewhere. I have not had a full meal in weeks and now I feel like eating. I'm so happy. I don't even care about that relationship anymore! I have so much joy that I can't even explain. I can't get over how filled up I feel!"

Very few churches do "door to door outreach" anymore. I can see the good and bad in that. Regardless, tonight someone knocked on Matt's door and he answered. He was hurting, confused and desperate and now He has a brand new life. Someone wasn't afraid to say the name of Jesus, they just went for it and shared the gospel! Sometimes we make it way too complicated, don't we? Accident that those men knocked on his door tonight? Coincidence? I think not!

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Labels: my Dad, prayers answered, salvation

My Dad got here today around 6pm and we all went out to dinner at a place called The Texan Cafe. Luckily we got there before the major crowd hit. As we started eating, I noticed a line out the door! And now that I have been there, I understand the line of people waiting their turn.

Good heavens, those fried green tomatoes were out of this world! Since we started with fried green tomatoes and since I knew the meal would end with their famous pie, I figured it would be a great night to totally indulge. So chicken fried steak was an easy choice for my entree!

Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and brag on myself for a moment. I've got their chicken fried steak beat, hands down! The very first dinner I ever made Jeremy was chicken fried steak and all the fixins! Chicken Fried Steak with rolls, homemade gravy, cream potatoes (not mashed, creamed), fresh green beans and corn on the cob! He asked me to marry him two months later and he still says to this day that one bite of my chicken fried steak and he was in love! Okay, so enough bragging on me! :) After our meal we were stuffed so we decided to get pie "to go". Dad got Apple Pie, Jeremy got Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie and I got the Smores pie. Oh my goodness! That Smores pie was unbelievably good!

Yes, people with my personality that enjoy something tend to say things like, "That was the best hamburger I have ever had in my life!" Or they say things like, "That was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life!" You know, we use lots of adjectives and expression when we talk. So knowing that, you may not believe me when I say that it was the best piece of pie I have ever had in my entire life. But seriously, it was slap yo mama good! I'm pretty sure my friend Erika could figure out a way to make a replica. After all, Erika does make the best ice cream pie in the whole world! I think she worked at TCBY while in college or high school and took notes! :)

I'm sure going to try and figure out the batter on those fried green tomatoes. They were so good I felt like I was being served by Idgie and Ruth! (if you don't know who they are, you need to watch FGT again! and if you have never seen it, shame on you!)

So there you have it! Dad is here and our tummies are full! Tomorrow the kids are going to play in the backyard in their new blow up pool while I sit under the covered patio and relax. Then tomorrow night we are grilling pork chops, beef sausage and corn on the cob! Of course there will be a huge pitcher of sweet tea too. Oh and I making a Chocolate Praline Cake for desert (thanks for the recipe Erika)! Sunday is "all about me day" aka Mother's Day!! This means my Dad and Jeremy will be cooking breakfast AND lunch! By dinner we will all be sick of eating. Then Dad leaves on Monday morning and my week begins all over again. I think I better soak up any extra help while I can.

Happy Mother's Day!

Labels: cooking, food, my Dad